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Protest by the merchants. Shootori
Countdown for the 'hippies' of the Esplanade: the market will close on January 15

Countdown for the 'hippies' of the Esplanade: the market will close on January 15

The City Council reiterates to the merchants that they must remove the stalls before the end of the month even if there is no alternative location

Tere Compañy Martínez

Alicante

Viernes, 10 de enero 2025, 07:28

Time has quickly ticked away for the hippies of the Esplanade and pressure mounts on the merchants who, if nothing changes, will bid farewell next week to their workplace of over 40 years. The last-minute extension granted by the City Council on November 5 expires on the 15th - with time until the 31st to dismantle the stalls - yet there remains no alternative location for this group.

The latest proposal, near the fish market on the Port promenade, was rejected by those affected as it "does not meet the safety requirements established by the applicable regulations." This was communicated to the merchants last week, arguing that the space is insufficient to maintain the necessary width between stalls and the required walking space for customers, among other concerns such as the risk of injuries.

This Wednesday, the City Council responded to the merchants, reiterating that the 'hippies' of the Esplanade must approach the Port Authority "competent in all respects." Additionally, the local administration explained to the vendors that the City Council's agreement on November 5, which gave them until January 15, remains fully in effect, meaning "the dismantling of the installations that make up the Craft Market must proceed before that date."

Proposal "technically and legally unfeasible"

The merchants of the stalls on the Esplanade of Alicante have rejected this pedestrian space between the Fish Market and the children's fair, owned by the Port Authority, where they would have no issues with permits or authorisations, considering that "the proposal is technically and legally unfeasible."

The Association of Vendors of the Esplanade (AVE) justified their decision in a report prepared by specialist technicians, at their own request, which states that the Port promenade "does not guarantee compliance with the safety requirements demanded by the regulations."

"It would expose visitors and users to potential risks of accidents and injuries, hindering effective evacuation in case of emergency," the report indicates according to a statement. They admit that "the surface of the passage area between the stalls has a very narrow width." Specifically, "there is only a free space of 40 centimetres between the awnings of the stalls placed opposite each other, which measure 120 centimetres each, and from the ground to the horizontal plane of the aforementioned awnings once deployed, there is a height of 190 centimetres, so people exceeding that height would have to walk through the centre, in a strip of only 40 centimetres in height, having to crouch and remain so when approaching the stalls to check the goods and items for sale and/or make purchases."

Therefore, "the described conditions do not meet the minimum safety requirements for emergencies such as evacuations, attending to the injured, or extinguishing fires." From the AVE have demanded that the craft market remain in its current location until the end of the concession, December 31, 2026.

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todoalicante Countdown for the 'hippies' of the Esplanade: the market will close on January 15